Merthyr Vale Colliery arch collapse, 1875

Two carpenters were killed and a third man hurt when an arch fell at Merthyr Vale Colliery on 29 October 1875, the year the colliery opened.

Cause

The fall of an arch.

What happened

Merthyr Vale Colliery, begun by John Nixon in 1869, came into production in 1875. On 29 October that year an arch fell on the carpenters William Rolls, 43, and James Jones, 45, killing both and injuring a third man.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• Two carpenters, William Rolls and James Jones, were killed at Merthyr Vale Colliery on 29 October 1875. ^1,2
• They were killed when an arch fell; a third man was injured. ¹
• NMRS records the cause as a fall of roof. ²

Related terminology

Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “…were killed and a third man hurt when an arch fell at Merthyr Vale Colliery on 29 October 1875, the year the colliery opened.”
• Cornish Rolls (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…1875. On 29 October that year an arch fell on the carpenters William Rolls, 43, and James Jones, 45, killing both and injuring a third man.”

Sources

1. (secondary) Welsh mining fatalities, 1875 — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (secondary) Merthyr Vale Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 7 October 2026 · Last researched: 7 October 2026